A Different Reference for 12 Link of Dependant Origins

For the chapels in Christchurch of Canterbury districts, a better understanding of religious views of life and death and the ways of dealing with them were better recognized as Diane, the vice president of the Canterbury Interfaith Society together with Alexa Evenden, Reverend of the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) organized a talk on the 15th of September where invitations for the Buddhists, Muslims and Sikhs attended to the Burwood Hospital with around 30 more clergies. Venerable Abbess Manshin from Fo Guang Shan (FGS) New Zealand (NZ) represented the Buddhists, Imam Gamal Fouda and Raj both represented the Muslims and Sikhs respectively.

Reverend Alexa representing the clergies gave gratitude to those attended the event and began it with a simple Christian blessing and chanting. The chaplins then invited the religious representatives on how to placate and enlighten the patients with their own beliefs, practices and customs.

Abbess Manshin at the talk said, sickness happens to everybody, and it mostly are divided into three. Sickness of the body could be cured as the food we take and place we live in is in peace; sickness of the heart could be cured as we follow the Dharma and stay away of the three poisons which is greed, hatred and ignorance; and through repentance, sickness of bad karmic life could also be lightened to help oneself. The abbess then continued with the explanation of twelve link of dependent origins and stressed, if one doesn’t change the bad habits of life, bad karma will follow even after reincarnation; as in driving, if the habits of the driver does not change, no matter what kind of car that the driver change, the driver will still make the same errors, as the driver is the car’s soul and the body is the soul’s consciousness. These words gave the audience and different thinking and inspired their lives.

Furthermore, the Muslims and Sikhs representatives have also given their sharing to help patients with their respective religious ways. Soon after, Reverend Alexa thanked the wonderful lectures given and hope in the future, the attendees could respond more appropriately to the patients of other religious, providing them more comfortable services. Reverend Alexa then presented four pots of flowers to the Abbess and the venerable, and be surely to cooperate with them again.